The Worst of Us All: The 25th Hunger Games SYOT Open
by Star Guardian Jinx
Summary: In the first annual Quarter Quell, the President of Panem announces that the tributes will be voted upon by their districts. Fear and anxiety ripple through the outer districts, while competition pounds in the blood of Career tribute wannabes. Who will be betrayed by their districts and sent to near-certain death, and who will fulfill their life's dream of competing? [SYOT 3/8]
1. Chapter 1: The Quarter Quell

The static buzz of TVs in District 12's town plaza was heard clearly over the silent crowd. The bright sunshine of a beautiful day lit of the faces of the gloomy citizens as they squinted up at the monitors, where President Ferne walked steadily towards a young girl holding a small gold chest. He opened the chest, plucking a yellow envelope from it. He ran his thumb smoothly through the seal, and pulled out a white card, turning to look directly into the camera with a small smile.

Somehow, the already silent crowd stilled more.

"As a reminder that in the Dark Days brother turned on brother as the Districts forced their own demise, each District will vote on which two tributes they will send to the Capitol to fight in the 25th Annual Hunger Games," President Ferne read clearly.

At first, the people of District 12 could only look suspiciously at one another, the tension and fear in the plaza almost palpable. But then, after a few moments, the whispering began.

And it didn't stop for days.

**Alright everybody, here we go. This SYOT will have 8 main characters, any of whom can win. These characters can be from any district as long as said district's slot isn't taken yet. As they are to be voted in, they need a reason to be voted. **_**PM me**_ **(not as a review!) the completed form****:**

**The form is also available on my profile for easier copy and pasting.**

**Name: **

**Age:**

**District:**

**Height:**

**Weight:**

**Family:**

**Other Relations (Who would visit them pre-train?):**

**Physical Description (You can use a faceclaim, but I need body and muscular descriptors):**

**Personality:**

**Backstory:**

**Wealth status in District:**

**Why they were voted:**

**Skills:**

**Weaknesses:**

**Primary weapon (it's fine if none):**

**Hunter or gatherer:**

**Strategy pre-arena (alliances, training, interview, etc.):**

**Strategy in the arena:**

**Token:**

**Other details:**

**TAKEN:**

**District 7 F**

**District 4 F**

**District 4 M**


	2. Chapter 2: The Beginning

**So, I've decided to refine what I'm looking for in characters. The form is still the same, but I'll only be accepting 8 main characters. They can be from any district (given that that district slot isn't taken), and only one of those 8 can win. Any past 8 will be included as a background character in the games. **

Poor districts were always hit the hardest by the Games, but the random selection of all the prior years could not compare to the aftermath of the vote announcement. Compassion was too strong of a word, but there was usually a certain sense of camaraderie within the outer districts- an understanding that nearly every individual in the poor districts was dealing with the same hunger, the same terror, the same pain. That camaraderie dissolved the second President Ferne opened the Quell envelope.

Now, the lower districts town squares were silent, every house's shutters drawn, every shop's door locked with a last-minute closed sign thrown up. No one wanted to risk that the next move they made would get another vote to their child's name, and no one wanted to see the parents of the child who they themselves would be casting a ballot for.

In the Career districts, it was different. Signs were plastered on trees, on pillars, on any empty wallspace one could find reading "Vote for Rarity as Your Champion!" or "A Vote for Topaz is a Vote for a District Victor!" or any other tribute-wannabe's slogan. Teenagers and their parents handed out pamphlets and displayed their talents in the plaza, with Peacekeepers turning a blind eye to the supposed illegality of training for the Games. Frontrunners were bet on openly, and a spirit of competition was cause for celebration amongst them. Fine bread and spirits were broken out in parties for the most likely of candidates, hoping that playing socialite could land them a spot in the Games. Every shop was full of orders for celebratory food or gifts or supplies to boost one's campaign.

Where business flourished for the Careers, it dwindled in the poor districts.

"I just don't understand," a young man said to his friends as the abandoned warehouse that had become his district's slum hub, "the announcement comes out and the whole fuckin' District goes on pause. What do they think that's gonna do? Stop the fuckin' Hunger Games?"

A girl with mousy brown hair frowned at him. "They just don't want to be voted on, Rex. I mean, I get it. I'm not gonna go out on the town and give people the opportunity to think up why it should be me. Honestly, I don't think any of us should be going out..."

Rex snorted. "Really, Donia?" He looked at his group of friends, waiting for one of them to back him up. After a few moments, when none of the ragtag gang of poor kids spoke up, he rolled his eyes. "You guys should take this as a blessing. We're all eighteen. This is the last year we could be chosen, and really, who's gonna vote for us? It's basically a free out for us."

"I don't know…" another girl said quietly. "I mean, if it was only other kids voting, we'd be fine. But, I mean, adults are voting too, right? And, I don't wanna sound negative, but, um… well..."

"Spit it out, Sosie," a different boy said.

She swallowed a quick gulp before continuing. "Well, I mean, after what your mom did this year… I just don't think you can guarantee that none of the adults will vote for you, Rex. I-I mean, I think some of them voting is… well, I think it's pretty likely."

For a second, Rex was at a loss for words. But then a sharp glint entered his eye, and he smirked down at his band of friends. "You know, Sosie, you made a good point for once. You're right. But I'll be fine."

He gave his friends a once-over. "We just have to take things into our own hands."

**Well, that's this update- they'll get longer once I have characters to go off of. The first 8 received will be the main characters in the Games. Once the tributes have been chosen, the viewers can also act as sponsors.**


	3. Chapter 3: District 4's Reaping

**With some characters to work with, we begin the real deal- nice! There are still 5 spots left for main characters. If you're interested in making a District 7 Male tribute, I recommend you hop on that, because that slot is going to close as soon as the next chapter comes out regardless of if it has been filled (next chapter is going to be the D7 reaping).**

The streets of the Capitol were uncharacteristically quiet. The bright, bubbly atmosphere was still, shiny stores with doors locked and not a single car on the freshly paved roads. No pedestrians strolled the sidewalks to talk with their neighbors, and no fashionistas paraded their latest outfits down alleys like they were runways. No, the residents of the Capitol were not out on the town. They were perched in front of their televisions, fruity cocktails in hand and eyes glued wide open towards the screens in front of them, clamoring to get a look at their newest vessels of entertainment.

Cameras zoomed throughout the various Districts as the populations lined up in their town squares, preparing to vote on who their chosen tribute would be. These reapings would take much longer than the ones prior, as every man, woman, and child twelve and over had to cast two names, male and female. The adults who were voting formed separate lines away from the corrals of children to vote, keeping their eyes locked on the ground, not wanting to look at the teenagers they were possibly condemning to death. The kids themselves shot wary glances between one another, the question beating in their chest asking if their peers around them had voted for them to be sent to die.

The clear anxiety painted on the face of the children was like a drug for the Capitol residents- after all, they deserved it, didn't they? It had only been twenty five years since the Dark Days; their parents had been the ones to so dreadfully rebel, and this was the just punishment. They should have been taking it as the Careers were, a celebration of the Games. After all, the Capitolians reasoned, they could have just killed them all: it was an act of mercy.

* * *

Bex beamed at herself in the mirror, looking up and down at her outfit. She looked perfect in her dress, which was a pretty, blue-green outfit that brought out the blue in her eyes. Her ginger hair was styled in an ornate crown, and her collarbone was accented by her precious mermaid necklace; it would be her token, should she make it into the arena.

To be fair, she was pretty sure she would. Of all of the kids who attended the academy, she was a clear frontrunner. At age 17, and strong as hell, she had the makings of a winning tribute. She'd spoken to everyone at the academy and had a few people put posters up boasting her as the best trained fighter in the district. Her only major competition, an eighteen year old named Karana, had broken her arm from a nasty slip on a wet dock, and was essentially out of the running.

She gave herself one last look up and down, smoothing any out of place auburn hairs, before she walked out of her room to go. Her mother and younger brother had already left, too old and too young to be considered for the running. Their voting lines were much longer compared to those who could be chosen. Her father, of course, had headed out at the earliest hour of the morning: he was the Mayor of District 4, and it was his job to make sure the whole thing went smoothly.

As she walked down the stairs, Bex spared one last glance through the small, hexagonal window above the landing. Through it, she could see the ocean, and the red and white lighthouse that stood tall above the coastline. It was this sight that was the only source of sadness for her: she would not see her beloved ocean for quite some time, should she be chosen.

Still, she could not stay there forever, and after a few moments of that view savored, she continued down the stairs and out of her house, on her way to the town square where the Reaping was held annually.

She grinned to herself as she walked. This Quarter Quell really was a blessing; her chances of being selected were monumentally higher, compared to having to either get her named pulled out of the glass ball (unlikely) or having to battle it out to see who could be the first to shout that they volunteer (very likely).

As she made her way there, she admired the scenery of the upper class area (for, as the Mayor's daughter, there was no luxury District 4 had that she did not). Various classmates approached her as they all made their way to the Reaping, most offering kind smiles, some with expressions tinted with jealousy. She was popular, and she knew she should feel blessed (since it made her likelihood of being chosen much greater), but all the attention she got as the Mayor's daughter wasn't always welcome.

Luckily, her two best friends soon made their appearances, as she got closer to the town square, and they linked arms with her on either side.

"It's totally going to be you," said Sadie, as Aisling nodded along.

Aisling was usually the most reserved of the group, but even she offered a large smile. "Our votes are going straight to you, and everyone we know is doing the same."

Bex grinned back at her two best friends. "Who are you guys voting for for dudes? I haven't decided yet."

Aisling and Sadie shared a glance and giggled.

"We've been doing some, hm, what would you call it… social engineering, I suppose. Don't worry about the vote, Bex," Sadie said with a grin. "You have nothing to worry about."

Bex squinted at her friends, trying to figure out what they meant, but she knew that if Aisling and Sadie had been planning something, there was no getting it out of them until it had happened. Whatever it was, she knew they were on her side as they all made their way into what could very well be the most important day of Bex's life.

* * *

Kai paced back and forth in his room, absently running his hand up and down his left arm, where thin horizontal lines could still be seen if one looked closely. He hated the Games. No, hate wasn't a strong enough word. He despised them, he _loathed _them, with every cell in his body.

A knock on his front door echoed in the back of his mind, but his thoughts were elsewhere. The memories danced through his brain, and his hands started to shake. His vision tunneled, and his breath started coming out in quick, short bursts. All he could hear was a flat buzzing, so he didn't notice the sound of his front door being pushed open.

As the flashbacks started to take over, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder, grounding him. He looked up, and she was there: Lilly. Her big brown eyes were filled with concern as she ran her hand up and down his shoulder, before taking him into her arms.

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay Kai," she murmured to him. She was the only one who could help, when this happened. She was the only one who knew, who truly understand what he had gone through. She rocked him back and forth, gently easing him down to the ground, and slowly, Kai calmed down.

To others, having to be cared for like this would make them feel weak, but with Lilly, Kai did not feel weak. He didn't have to apologize for this; she understood.

"Are you ready to go now?" she asked softly. Kai nodded, and when she stretched out her hand to help him up, he took it.

He wasn't usually unstable, but the Reaping and the Hunger Games brought it out of him. Usually, his love of fishing and Lilly could distract him from the dark thoughts that liked to creep up on him, but the Games were a stark reminder of what he'd lost.

After a few deep breaths, Kai walked out of his house, hand in hand with Lilly. One of the things he loved about his girlfriend was that she could carry the conversation on her own, when she was in moods like this. She talked about anything and everything as they headed towards the town square, grateful for the distraction from where they were headed. As they walked, he admired her beauty. Lilly wasn't like most of the people in District 4. She had dark eyes and dark hair, and medium yellow-toned skin. She stood out in a crowd, and Kai loved that about her. He, on the other hand, was the perfect representation of District 4, with messy longish blonde hair and sea green eyes, and his could've-been-pale skin tanned golden from all his time on the beach and out at sea.

Lilly sucked in a sharp breath that brought Kai out of his inward thoughts to look down at her, confused. He followed her line of sight until it landed upon Sadie Brooks, Aisling Waters, and Bexley Forsberg. _Of course_.

The three were perhaps the most popular girls in all of District 4, and stuck to one another like glue. They were all from very wealthy families, with Bexley herself being the Mayor's daughter. Sadie and Bexley were well known as the top girls at the Career Academy, and just about everyone knew that Sadie planned to volunteer next year. Aisling wasn't a tribute-wannabe like they were, but her family used their wealth to send sponsorships nearly as large as Capitolians did. It was no secret that Bexley was the favorited tribute of the District 4 women for the vote, and, judging by her cocky walk and grin, she was well aware of that.

Despite their immense popularity, Kai disliked them. They had some sort of unresolved anger towards Lilly from when they were kids, and never failed to take it out on her. Usually, they didn't do this when he was around, but what he heard from Lilly signified that the girls, particularly Sadie and sometimes Aisling, could be quite nasty to her.

"Hey, they're not going to do anything to you- not today," Kai said to Lilly comfortingly. She nodded, and the two kept walking. Kai felt himself tense up more and more the closer they got to the town square, but Lilly's hand on his own grounded him.

When they arrived, however, they had to split off. Lilly squeezed his hand and shot him a reassuring smile as she walked towards the girls' registry and voting line, while Kai headed towards his own. He didn't wince has they pricked his finger and pressed the dot of blood onto a scanner, but he gnawed at his lip when asked for his votes.

The girls' vote was easy: Bexley Forsberg wanted nothing more than to be the tribute, and if that's what she wanted, Kai was happy to supply it. But for the boys, Kai just wasn't sure. The likelihood of it being him was next to nothing: he simply wasn't on anyone's radar enough to be chosen. However, there was no big frontrunner either. No boy had wanted to go up against Bexley; they had seen what she could do at the academy.

"Your vote for male tribute, please," the female peacekeeper who was recording them said for the third time, aggravated. He was taking too long.

Sucking in a breath, he scrawled down a random name- Jasen Kamber, a stocky boy who he knew from fishing lessons when he was a child. He felt bad, but he had no choice- he had to vote for _someone_.

As Kai walked into the pen for sixteen year old males, he looked around and spotted Jasen. He was surprised when he saw that Jasen himself was looking back at him, and the two both glanced away awkwardly, a gnawing pit growing in Kai's stomach. Looking around, he found more and more of the kids around him were sneaking glances at him. Did he have something on his face? He told himself it was nothing, but his teeth still found his nails to gnaw on.

It wasn't long before the Mayor was stepping up to the microphone and tapping on it to give his speech. Kai tuned the majority of it out, and the speech afterwards performed by Mags Flanagan, District 4's only Victor, who had won the 11th Hunger Games. It was then that Adella Porttleby took the stage, her hair colored a vibrant chartreuse that was opposite of her puce eyebrows. Her nose had been so severely modified through plastic surgery that it was tiny, barely there, and when she talked it was with a nasally, high pitch.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome one, welcome all, to the start of the 25th annual Hunger Games!" she singsonged, and Kai cringed. This woman seemed to almost always talk in a babyish voice, and it only got worse by the year.

"I know we love to talk about odds and favour, but this Reaping is special, quite, quite special! The odds matter not- the favour of your peers is what matters!" Adella continued. "As all of you have cast your votes, you may have an idea of who is going to be the lucky tributes who take on the honor of representing District 4 in the Hunger Games! So… let's not dilly-dally! A quick reminder that no Volunteers are permitted in this Reaping."

"Ladies first!" called out Adella. Unlike previous Reapings, there were no glass balls, no hundreds of paper slips. It was two podiums on either side of the stage, each with a single letter that had been placed just before the Mayor took the stage. Adella approached the one on her right, picking it up and sliding it open cleanly. She tapped her way back to her mic, the sound of her heels loud through the quiet crowd. For the first time, Kai was not filled with fear that it would be Lilly who got taken away. He knew who it would be.

"Hem, hem," Adella said. "The female tribute representing District 4 shall be… Bexley Forsberg!"

There was a good amount of cheering that echoed from the crown, as Bexley took the stage with a grin. It was clear she'd been expecting this, and that she was ready. Kai felt bad for the male who would be called up against her.

Adella approached Bexley with a smile. "Any words you'd like to say, dear?" She held the microphone in front of her.

"Yes," Bexley said. "I'd like to thank my dad, Mayor Forsberg, for all the hard work he puts into making sure the Reaping goes well. I'd like to thank my family for always being there for me. And, of course, I'd like to thank my best friends Sadie and Aisling, for sticking by my side no matter what, and for being the best friends a girl could have. Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me, for believing in me. I will make you proud. I will show everyone that District 4 is _not _to be messed with, and I'll remind everyone of that on my goddamn Victory Tour! I will not let you down."

The crowd broke out in cheers again, and Adella smiled down at them. When they finally quieted, she said, "And now, for the boys."

The crowd quieted again, straining to hear who their male tribute would be. Adella grabbed the letter and opened it, read the name on it, and smiled. "District 4, your male tribute is… Kai Saisbrook!"

Kai froze. His own name seemed to echo in his ears. _It can't be me. It can't. It can't,_ he thought. Around him, the arms of other boys pushed him towards the stage, and he stumbled up there. In the crowd, his eyes found Lilly's, and it was the tears in hers that awoke him from his daze.

He climbed up to the stage, and stared out over the crowd of faces that had betrayed him. Why him? What had he done that made people vote for him? He was fairly nice and outgoing, though, sure, he was not the most popular guy, he had plenty of amicable acquaintances. Why would they not choose another Career, like Bexley?

Adella held out the microphone for him to say anything, but he jerked his head back and forth. He had no words to say. The crowd itself sounded like a background buzzing in his ears, and he heard next to nothing as he shook Bexley's hand stiffly and was ushered off stage. Just before he was pushed into the post-Reaping room, he noticed Bexley looking at him curiously. However, the door shut behind him before he could give it much thought, and he was alone.

He paced back and forth in the room, trying to parse how this had happened. Why him? Why him? Why him? The longer he thought about it, the more confused he got. But slowly, a conclusion dawned upon him. It did not matter why he had been voted. Nothing mattered now, except for getting out of the damned arena. And while he was at it…

The flashbacks came again, but they were tinted in a different light. He knew what he had to do.

Lilly burst into the room, throwing herself into his arms. This time it was him who would comfort her, stroking her hair as she sobbed.

"Lils. Lils, it's okay. I'll be okay," he murmured, despite knowing that he could not guarantee that. Slowly, her sobs quieted to mere whimpers. He knew his time was running out with her.

Kai pulled back from Lilly to look her in the eyes, and say. "I promise you, I will do my best to come home to you."

She only nodded.

"And at least I'll have…" He reached up to run a hand through his hair. "Fuck, at least I'll have a chance to do it."

"Do what?" Lilly asked, her voice hoarse from crying.

Kai looked her in the eyes. "I'm gonna do it, Lilly. I'm taking 1 and 2 down. I'm gonna fucking avenge him."

* * *

Bex threw her arms around Sadie and Aisling as they entered the room, Aisling with a knowing smile and Sadie with a squeal of excitement. Step one was done, and it was go time. Her raw skill would carry her far, but sponsors would carry her further. It was time to charm the Capitol. Still, she had a bit of time left with her loved ones.

"You've got this," Sadie told her with a grin, "It's barely even a competition."

Aisling nodded along and offered, "But don't forget us once you're a famous Victor."

"There's no chance I would," Bex replied. She paused for a second, before asking her friends, "Why Kai Saisbrook? I mean, if you guys were spreading around who to vote for, why him?"

Sadie's green eyes lit up wildly as they did when she had a stroke of genius. "He's not a Career, so he's not a threat to you. But he's good enough at fishing that you can use him, so he's not a dud to send in. And…" she snickered. "He's Lilly Cress's boyfriend. Get him good for me, Bex."

Ah. That explained it. Sadie had hated Lilly Cress ever since, when they were kids, she'd suggested that training for the Hunger Games was a waste, and that it made them brutish. Bex and Aisling had always joined in on Sadie's crusade, simply because if one of them is wronged, all of them were wronged.

"I will," Bex said with a smile. "Once he's outlived his use."

Soon, her friends had to leave, and her family filed in. She already knew what they would say: they were proud of her, and they knew she would make them even prouder in the games. It wasn't anything she didn't already know. However, the surprise came in her next visitor: Lilly Cress herself.

Lilly stormed into her room. Her eyes were red, she'd clearly been crying, but she'd long since stopped. She took two deep breaths, and said, without waiting for Bex to speak, "I don't care what issues you or your friends have with me. Help him. Please. I s-swear, I swear, I'll do anything."

Bex considered, for a second, just saying no, but thought better of it. No, she'd make good use of Kai Saisbrook and his girlfriend. Though she didn't look it, she was quite wealthy, and any type of sponsor she could pry from this girl's grip would be of use. She didn't particularly hate Kai, nor did she hold the same hatred towards Lilly that her friends harbored. But this was a game of life or death, and Bex had no plans to die in the arena. So Bex looked Lilly Cress in the eyes and said, reassuringly, "I will. I'll help him."

She'd lied.

**Once again, there are five slots remaining for main character tributes who may win. District 4 is closed, and the District 7 Female slot is taken. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The chart is both at the beginning of this story and on my profile.**

**Now that the official games-y stuff has begun, I will explain how sponsors will work. Obviously I will be doing a few in-story sponsors where it makes sense, but readers can also act as sponsors. You can earn sponsor money by reviewing. Only reviews on the latest chapter will be counted, and each review is worth 100 points. When the Games begin, I will make a list of items each chapter that those points can be used for for the tributes. **

**If you don't want to sponsor, and only wish to read, that's fine too! You can choose to sponsor your own character, or someone else's. You can also choose to save up points by not using them, just reviewing.**


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